How To Tell
by iyoku-chan
Summary: -Chpt6 is finally up!- I know there are lots of 'how they tell eveyrone' fics, but mine is good! It really funny, or so I hope...Mel and Vidanric take a trip to Tlanth.
1. Chapter One

I sank down into my bed, exhausted after a very long day. Life had not yet slowed down from the headlong pace begun after my ball for Bran and Nee. The Court was in a flurry of activity, for Vidanric had finally announced the day of coronation would be a scarce month after Mid-Summer's Day and my brother's wedding.  
  
It seemed that the Court was mad with social gatherings, perhaps due to the fact that since the Merindar threat that everyone suspected (though no one ever spoke of) was finally gone, the courtiers finally felt the freedom to gather with friends and make up for time lost to Galdran.  
  
This particular day I had joined Bran, Nee, Elenet, and Vidanric for a goodbye breakfast for Elenet. She was departing later that day for Grumareth, for now that her uncle had been killed, she had officially become the Duchess of her lands and felt that needs drew her back to her lands to calm her people after their former lord's latest folly. Another, underlying reason for the group gathering was to informally congratulate Vidanric on his decision to finally take on the full responsibility of the Remalna crown he so well deserved. Nee, being the observant person she was, also was interested in the true reason behind Vidanric's sudden decision to be crowned, for she knew he had been waiting for something more than the Merindar threat to come to conclusion.  
  
I spent the entire breakfast not speaking, and even though my brother found this unusual he elected not to speak of it in front of everyone, though I was positive he would call me out on it at a later, more private time. It seemed that the time he spent with Nee had given him a greater sense of tact than he had possessed prior, which I was eternally grateful for. In my own defense, I had spent the entire meal quiet because I was trying my hardest not to seem to obvious about Vidanric's and mine change in social status, as I was sure he was trying to do also, but he was obviously having a much easier time of it because he carried on as normal, talking and laughing and acting completely normal. We had chosen not to yet tell anyone at Court of our new relationship until we had worked everything out ourselves, for we both knew that unless things seemed at peace between us, many other court women would latch on to any possible reason to try to wedge between us, and I want to spare myself the hours I knew I would spend plotting the painful deaths of many court ladies. So for the time being, Vidanric and I kept a secret between only ourselves and Mora, for she knew all my affairs whether I wished her to or not.   
  
When breakfast had finished, I took my leave, as did Vidanric and Bran, to let Nee and Elenet say their goodbyes in a more private setting. I hurried to my rooms to change into a different gown, for I had intended to spend the remainder of the morning studying in the library and my afternoon was claimed by Geral for a horse race between various members of the Court, which I would be participating in. I donned on of my less formal gowns and started through the elaborate hallways and corridors towards the library, where I knew I would most likely find a specific blonde man answering mail and waiting for me.   
  
As I had expected, Vidanric had retreated to the archive almost immediately after breakfast. I suspected that if he did not think it would arouse concern from his mother, he wouldn't have changed out of his morning clothes, which were less than proper for our informal breakfast; he would have headed straight from Nee's rooms to this very archive. He glanced up as I batted aside the tapestry and entered the room, smiling as I came over to give him a quick kiss before going book hunting in the shelves.   
  
"Am I less important than books now, my dear Lady Meliara?" Vidanric drawled in his most cynical voice, amused at my preoccupation with the books.  
  
"Currently, yes," I responded, causing laughter to appear in his eyes as I poked my head out from between shelves.  
  
"Can I assist you in finding a specific book then, so I can return to admiring your beauty whilst you sit next to me and read?"  
  
"Not really. I am not looking for anything specific, just something from a recent queen, so I can study up on how to correctly go about courting the future king in public. I wouldn't want to cause either of us embarrassment before our wedding day."  
  
Vidanric stood up and caught my hand, an anxious look deep in his eyes. "Does that mean you want to be my queen?" I could tell he was nervous, for his breathing had become slightly faster. I was quickly learning to read his extremely subtle emotions and see through the court mask I had once though impenetrable.   
  
"Yes, Danric, I want to be your wife, and I suppose if queen must come in the package, I can live with it," I replied, my eyes dancing. Vidanric caught me in a hug that was disturbingly like one of Bran's exuberant embraces, catching me off guard. 'He's spending entirely too much time with my brother,' I thought, laughing as he set me back on the floor and caught my lips in a soft kiss.  
  
The kiss, originally soft and romantic, rapidly became fierce and passionate, our minds following the same though pattern – we were soon to be husband and wife. Yet, before it got out of hand in such an open place, Vidanric came to his senses and broke away from me, breathing heavily, but smiling nonetheless. He grabbed my hand and lead me through the shelves to, handing me a small book written by a largely unknown queen.  
  
"She was much like you, well, kind of. The only true parallel is that she came from a small family with little power and refused to come to Court until generally forced," Vidanric explained. "I don't know how much it will inform you of how to properly court me, but for your information, I truly don't much care exactly how you go about it, just simply that you do." He kissed me softly once again before returning with a sigh to his work at the desk.  
  
I walked over to sit next to him, reading the farthest thing from my mind at the time. "What is wrong, Vidanric?" I asked softly.  
  
"I'm just a little tired, that's all. Its nothing you need to worry about, love. I'm sure whatever I may be coming down with will dissipate once all this work is done."  
  
After a more through look at my fiancé, I was angry at myself for letting him get into this position. 'Calm down,' I though to myself. 'I've only decided to realize his existence about two days ago; there was nothing I could do to stop this.' Out loud, however my thoughts ran in an entirely different pattern. "Vidanric, you and I are going to take a trip," I declared.  
  
"A trip? Where? I am afraid I simply do not have the time. There are only a couple of months left before the wedding and our coronation. I have too much work to do," Vidanric said, looking more tired than ever, while looking over the overflowing bag of mail he had to plow through in only a short amount of time.   
  
"I really do not care, darling. You are ill, you are always ill, don't tell me your not. As your future wife, I prescribe a two week long trip to Tlanth with me as your escort. We can leave tomorrow and be back in plenty of time for my brother's wedding. And an added bonus, we would be there by ourselves…" I winked and let the implications hang in the air.  
  
"Do you not think it would seem a little odd that you and I, who apparently only recently got past hating one another, or more to the truth, you got over hating me, take a trip, alone, to your county where there will be none but ourselves? I know I am usually the subject of Court gossip, but I rarely ever freely let myself walk into that sort of pit."  
  
"Well, that's simple. I had been talking to you of the Hill Folk, and you believe, after such a spectacular show of power in the Throne Room, that no good king should go without any type of introduction to those magical creatures. So you questioned me about it, me being the only person you know that is familiar with the Hill Folk, and I agreed to escort you to my mountain to teach you what I know of them so you could be a better king. Of course, you and I will have already told our closer friends of our relationship, as not to worry them about me cutting your head of at Erkan Astiar, but the entire Court will be largely unawares until we come back and elect to inform them. Do we have a deal?"  
  
"I think," Vidanric replied, trying to hold back a very un-courtier-like grin, "that you will make a fine queen."  
  
"Does that mean you'll go?"  
  
"How could I pass up an opportunity like this?" He kissed me and then went back to his work. I glanced at the sun through the window and realized it was almost midday.  
  
"Oh no! I must go! I am supposed to meet Geral for the horse race this afternoon and I still need to bathe! Sorry I couldn't spend more time with you this morning, Danric. I love you, and I hope I will see you tonight?" I quickly turned and walked to the tapestry, turning back to see Vidanric nod his head and wave goodbye, before turning back to the letter on his desk.  
  
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As I rode up to the starting line with Geral beside me, I surveyed the course we were to ride that day. Since the early summer rains had only stopped a week ago, the ground was still thoroughly wet, though not wet enough to stop a race. Due to the ground being wet, much to my disappointment, the course selected was a simple track, flat with no jumps to spare the horses injury. I enjoyed the tougher courses because they were easy to win on due to my experience riding mountain trails. These courses, however, denied me my advantage and set me on a level playing field with my other friends who were to ride. This day there were not that many, for most courtiers do not fancy getting splattered with mud, but the tried and true horse-lovers were mounted up – Renna, Trishe, Bran, Savona, Geral, and I were the select few who would brave the mud.  
  
I won the race, though not without a tough fight to the finish with Savona, who rode his pure bay Warmblood, Antigo. Antigo was one who had beaten me before, but this day I had elected to ride Fjorta, a mare by Vidanric's own fast grey, Gothic Prize. Fjorta did me proud and I won the race with half a length to spare.  
  
The racers and spectators then retired to Trishe's room, where most of the competitors changed into clean clothes, and ate and talked of this race and past ones. The remainder of the day went agreeably, and I walked back to my rooms with Bran as my escort.  
  
Author's note: I've had this idea in my head for a while, about exactly how Bran and Nee, and subsequently the rest of Court, discover Mel and Danric's romance. I, in fact, wrote it a while ago, but I lost that one so I rewrote it. Unfortunately for me, this one seems like it will take a while longer, for I can't seem to make Meliara do what she is supposed to, and now she's gone and planned a vacation I will apparently have to type up…:: annoyed look:: Anyway, I will put up the next chapter as soon as I figure out the best way to write it. Hopefully it will be in a couple of days! Reviews always help me speed things up, and you might give me an unknown idea of how the rest of my story should go. 


	2. Chapter Two

Later that night, after I had participated in a dinner with Bran and Nee, I sat at my desk penning a letter to Oria, informing her of Vidanric and my impending trip to Tlanth, telling to her expect us in a week, for we were to leave on the morrow. I also informed her of our new relationship, so she wouldn't be shocked to see how we acted together on our little vacation.   
  
As soon as I was finished composing the letter, I heard a soft knock outside my tapestry. I went over and smiled to see Vidanric waiting outside my rooms, as he had promised. Tonight was one if the nights designated for us to talk about what had happened between us during the war and since.   
  
I pulled Vidanric into my rooms and lead him over to the ample pile of cushions spread under the window. He sat down, with me close beside him, and I bade Mora, who had yet to go to bed, to bring us some hot chocolate, then go rest, for she had been awake for quite a while, and had a lot to do to pack for my trip tomorrow. She nodded and silently left the room, leaving us to ourselves.  
  
"So where shall we start tonight, love?" Vidanric began, before leaning in to give me a soft kiss of greeting.  
  
"When I was at the ball, my first here, the one Russav threw for me, and you made that comment coming down the stairs, truthfully did you mean something by it? You told me it was simply a diversion, but was it really?" This question had been haunting me for some time, and I wanted to get it out of the way before anything else happened.  
  
"Truthfully, I did not, my dear Meliara. It was the first thing that came into my mind that had a chance of setting you at ease, for I knew that you were scared out of your wits. I desperately wanted to spare you any humiliation that might have come from you being that nervous. Most people tend to accomplish the stupidest things when they are nervous."  
  
Our conversation continued like that for a few hours, then we spent the rest of our time agreeably, drinking our hot chocolate and reading a book I had wanted to get my hands on for quite a while. When I closed the book at the end of a particularly boring chapter, yawning while I did so, I looked over to see that Vidanric had drifted off to sleep, his exhaustion from working himself overly hard finally claiming him. I smiled down at my fiancé, and leaned against his chest, sleep seeming like the most wonderful thing in the world at the time.  
  
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I awoke to quiet laughter outside my door and the sun shining bright in my eyes. It took me a few moments to realize where exactly I was, for I wasn't in my bed. Everything came clearly back to mind as I saw Vidanric still sleeping soundly next to me. I panicked, wondering what time it was, for Mora obviously decided not to wake us. Then the implications of the laughter dawned on me, as I realized that I must have missed breakfast that morning, which was supposed to be with Bran, Nee, and Savona. They must have come into my rooms worried about my absence and found me in quite the shocking position with Danric. I stood from the cushions, careful not to disturb Danric, and hastily walked to my tapestry.  
  
The scene outside my door was one I will never forget. Bran and Savona were cracking up, nearly crying from mirth, while Nee looked rather astonished. When they realized I was standing in front of them, all three tried to regain Court composure, but the two males failed miserably and went off into peals of laughter once again. Nee grabbed my hand and dragged me into her rooms, leaving the two men to wake Vidanric.  
  
"What in the world was that little scene we happened to walk in on?" Nee cried, apparently scandalized.  
  
"Um…well…you see…"I muttered, not really wanting to explain.  
  
"Please, Mel, you can tell me anything. I am hurt that you felt you had to hide this from me."   
  
I looked down at my still bare feet, but was startled when Bran and Savona, still laughing their heads off, came into the room, dragging a sleepy, but embarrassed Vidanric behind them. They deposited him next to me, which seemed to set them off laughing even harder. I forced a fake smile onto my face, resisting the urge to smack the both of them, and grabbed Vidanric's hand.  
  
Bran was the first to regain the ability to talk. "Mel, Danric, why…? What…? HOW…?!?!" was all he managed to choke out.  
  
"Sit down, let the two of us eat something, and we shall explain it all to you, if you manage to regain your manners and do not go off into sets of laughter at every word we speak." Vidanric was completely serious, and Bran and Savona quickly quieted down and sat at the table, where Vidanric and I haltingly explained our tale, with me spending most of the time blushing so red I was sure I resembled a rose. We covered everything from the letters and the rings to our planned vacation together to Tlanth later that day. Bran and Nee's only reaction was to look stunned, while Savona took a much louder opinion on the tale.  
  
"Well, Danric, it's about time you finally made your move! I wish you the best of luck, though Mel, I believe this means we can no longer flirt with one another. Pity really, I rather enjoyed your dancing. I trust Danric here will cede you to me for at least a couple of dances every now and again." Savona continued with his rambling until I swear, close as they were, Vidanric was about to hit him. Luckily, the suave Duke knew when to stop pushing Vidanric's buttons and gave up soon enough.  
  
Nee was the next to speak. "Mel, I am so very happy for you! You know, I suspected this a little, but I never mentioned it to you. I hope you enjoy your vacation, you need it almost as much as Vidanric. I wish Bran and I could accompany you to Tlanth, I know Bran misses it so, but we must stay here and prepare for the wedding. I will miss you while you are gone." Nee was bubbling over with delight and true congratulations at our announcement, with Bran standing behind her nodding his agreement. I knew that Bran, not being his sharpest in the morning (though I still had no inkling of what time it really was), was still letting the news seep into his brain, and that later today he would doubtless pull me aside to congratulate me.  
  
The five of us spent the rest of the morning happily discussing the details of my brother's wedding, and some details about us, such as how to announce formally to the Court, our engagement. I informed them that, although I happened to know the widely used custom of engagement announcements, I would look into it during my free time at home and come up with an interesting idea. Possibly an obscure one, which seemed so fitting after my ball for Bran and Nee, which seemed to have brought back into fashion many long-forgotten customs and clothes, something I was delighted about.   
  
We had much to do before Vidanric and I could actually leave for Tlanth, so we didn't get away until nearly dinner-time. We still had to enlighten Danric's parents about the engagement, and although Prince Alaerec seemed genuinely caught off guard, Princess Elestra hinted that she had known all along, which did not surprise me, nor Vidanric. They, too, wished us a fond farewell and Elestra gave me confidential orders to ensure that her son regained his full health and ignored crown matters for a least a couple of days. Bran also pulled me aside a little later to bid me goodbye in private, tell me to inform all our friends he missed them, and congratulate Danric and I.  
  
So it was with genuine hugs and goodbyes that Danric and I left the palace Athanarel and rolled out of Remalna-city, Danric on his horse, me in the carriage, and headed for the quiet seclusion of Tlanth and my childhood home.  
  
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Author's note: This chapter was hastily put together, for I just finished re-reading Court Duel for, oh the 70-billionith time, and I decided to make good use of the imspiration to dash off another chapter. Besides, all through the day, I had been trying to decide exactly how to write this chapter, or more to the point, the scene where Danric and Mel are discovered, so I decided (at 12:30 at night) to simply sit in front of my computer and whatever happened to appear on the screen was what I would go for. This is what happened. Thanks to all who have already reviewed! 


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: (I figured it was as good a time as any, since I keep forgetting) I own none of the characters from Court Duel, only the plot line. You guys all know what this is supposed to say, and anyways I claim no such skill as to ever have been able to come up with the original idea of Court Duel, so I won't even flatter myself by saying I wish I owned these characters...I only wish that Vidanric was real and that I knew him....::drool:: Wow, Igot way off topic in this, but I think I got my point across, don't you?  
  
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The trip to Tlanth was a relatively sedate trip, not major setbacks and simple fun between Vidanric and I. We made a number of bets and raced from inn to inn through out the entire trip, for both our competitive sides could not let the opportunity pass. I won some of the races; he won some of the others (I won the race to Lumm this time), but we did not keep score and each race was ended with a kiss.  
  
We arrived at Tlanth in a mere five days, which was exceptionally quick for a trip that long, but work on paving the roads around Tlanth had been carried forward in my absence and everywhere on the mountain it seemed had pavement, especially the major roadways. I was pleased at the strides my home seemed to be making towards prosperity.   
  
I was greeted many times once we entered the county by former rebels, childhood friends, or simply citizens who had questions and recognized me as their Lady. As much as I wished to help all these people, I bade them write to the castle, and subsequently to the capital, where Bran and I would take care of their concerns as soon as time permitted, which never seemed to take very long and, in general, people seemed to have to problem about the two of us governing from far away. Everyone knew we were dedicated to our citizens and lands. So even though my strict sense of duty chastised me, Vidanric forced me put aside all matters of government unless they were extreme and required immediate attention, such as one event I discovered upon my arrival at the castle.  
  
It seemed that, in Bran and my absence, the cost of schooling had begun to rise, for more and more people suddenly found themselves with enough money to hire teachers or even erect schoolhouses to tutor their children. With the increase in demand, tutors and teachers had begun to raise their prices to excessive amounts, which I knew, as someone who had her own education neglected, I had to change immediately. I sat down at my desk in the library and penned a letter to the teachers' guild, asking for a explanation for the price rise and ordering them to appear before me a fortnight hence to discuss the matter at hand. When this was done, I turned to more pleasant matters, such as reuniting with Oria, who I hadn't even greeted yet, for the petitioners had met me outside my gate and I got myself caught up in that matter and not even noticing anything else, since I was on the war path about the problem. I always knew I had a one-track mind when it came to government.  
  
So when I had finished my letter, I left it on my desk, resolving to send it when I had greeted all my friends, and left the room to find Vidanric standing outside the tapestry, about to knock. I jumped back, startled, and he followed me back into the library.  
  
"I was wondering what had happened to you? I was sitting in the parlor thinking you got lost in your own house and couldn't find your way back out." He smiled, for he knew exactly what I had been doing.  
  
"Well, you see, I had to…Education is important to me, and this issue came up about it, and I had to deal with it, it took a little longer than I had expected, but I just finished it, so lets go find everyone and say hello." I stammered, trying to explain myself.   
  
"Yes, sure, lets. Remember though, my sweet, this trip is not just for me to ignore work on, you are to ignore it to. I know that you are very loyal to your people, it is a trait that will make you and excellent queen, but even your people would understand why you must rest before your health is effected, as mine was." He began to grin, "Besides, it wouldn't be fair if I allowed you to work your head off and ignore me this entire trip, while you and your people watched me like a hawks ensuring I ignore crown affairs."  
  
I laughed at this plain use of logic, logic specific to my fiancé, and nodded, grabbing his hand and leading him out of the library.  
  
It seemed to be the day for walking into people just outside the library, for as soon as I lifted the tapestry, I discovered a startled Oria standing in much the same position as Danric was just moments before. I immediately dropped Danric's hand and flung myself at Oria, embracing her tightly, trying to convey exactly how much I had missed her into one gigantic hug. I pulled away when I realized she could barely breathe and I heard Danric laughing softly behind me.  
  
"Oria, I missed you so much! Danric, I do believe you have already been acquainted with Oria, my steward." I added, remembering my court etiquette, which had now become second nature. Oria curtsied and Danric bowed before I interrupted, asking about what had happened during my hiatus. Oria and I talked happily with Danric trailing along behind us as we strolled through the castle so I could see all the changes that Oria had done to the castle. I imagine I felt exactly the same way Bran did when he first came from court to see the house as it was then, for much had been done in my absence. We talked for quite a while, before I realized that Oria had other matters to attend to and that I was neglecting my guest. I bid her goodbye and watched her as slipped into one of the servant's doors, heading to the kitchen, I guessed.  
  
I showed Vidanric to his suite of rooms, the same ones he occupied when he was there before, and left him to prepare for dinner, which would be in only and hour or so. I went to my rooms and surprised to find them altered. They had been redecorated in a similar pattern to the rooms I had used at Athanarel, the lovely soft greens and blues with embroidered ivy on the pillows. I guessed I had written about my rooms to Oria and she decided to redo my own rooms in the same pattern to make me feel comfortable in my rooms again. She had done a wonderful job, managing to preserve every aspect that had made it seem like my room in the castle, the one I spent most of my life in, instead of a borrowed room, such as the one I occupied at Court. I nearly ran out of the room to find Oria and thank her, but I turned to find her standing at the doorway.  
  
"Life, I think today must be the day I am destined to have everyone startle me right outside any door I pass through!" I exclaimed.  
  
"Do you like the room, my lady?" Oria asked, obviously not sure as to whether she had made the right decision to change my rooms. It was odd, but to me she seemed more reserved around me, but I could not tell why.  
  
"I love them, Oria. I had completely forgotten I described my Court room to you. A different type of lifestyle, a different type of room; I think it fits winderfully. But tell me," I said, sitting on the bed, "something is bothering you. Can you tell me what it is? You seem reserved today."  
  
Oria laughed a little, but it sounded strained, even to my generally oblivious ears. "You have changed, Countess. Before you left for Court, you never would have been so upfront with me." I could tell she was trying to sidestep my question, but after dealing with Flauvic's expert diversions, Oria was no longer a match for me. And her words had given me and idea about what changed between us.  
  
"'Ria, even though I am engaged to Danric, even though I have finally become a semi-proper courtier, despite everything that has happened, I am, and will always be, the same Meliara that you grew up with. It doesn't matter whether I end up being some unknown and obscure noble with no title, or the Queen at Sartor, I will always be your friend, and you should know that," I said softly.  
  
Oria came to sit on the bed with me. "I know that Mel, somewhere deep inside, but when you showed up here, with your magnificent gown and servants everywhere, I could tell you had become a courtier, and courtiers do no associate with their servants. Besides, you are the future queen, and I did not know how I should act." Oria looked down at her hands, which she was wringing together.  
  
"Oria, despite everything, do not think for one second that anything has changed between us. And besides, you're not just any servant, you're my steward, and from my experience, a vast number of courtiers that have already inherited their titles, such as Vidanric and Savona, are close friends with their stewards, or else they would not have had the trust to name them as such. Think of it the same way between us is you must, but I would prefer that you ignore titles and birthrights completely when you consider our friendship."  
  
Oria looked up, and relief was written plainly across her face. She fell on top of me in a big hug, overjoyed at having me home finally. When she was done, I excused myself to go to the baths and prepare for dinner, but not before I asked my friend's advice in picking a gown, for I had given Mora the day off to accustom herself to the castle and surrounding town. She seemed delighted to rifle through the many gowns that had been hung in my wardrobe and selected a wonderful dinner gown that was light blue with dark blue embroidery of flowers along the low neckline and down the floor-length sleeves, and had sapphires scattered over the entire dress, making me flash blue when in the right light. It was one of my favorite gowns, and I told Oria so before she left to attend to matters of running the castle. I quickly prepared and met Vidanric for dinner, informing him of what had happened between Oria and I.  
  
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Author's note: Well, this particular chapter is rather deviod of Mel/Danric fluff, but I promise I will try to put more into the next chapter. Once again, I am typing this chapter up at 1 in the morning...this is starting to create a disturbing pattern...You guys better hope I get this fic finished before I start school again, or I might not finish it, even though I really want to. Anyway, keep reviewing, I love getting them and knowing people actually read my stories. I already have another idea for a Court Duel fic banging around inside my head, maybe I will plan it out before I forget it, but I won't start writing it till I am done this one. I've dug myself into that hole before when I tried to write 4 fics at once. I already have an original story posted on Fictionpress.net that is ongoing...go read it! My user name there is Dara Faeon, and the story title is...Transplanted..yeh thats it. Anyway, go read that too! 


	4. Chapter Four

Vidanric and I spent our days in Tlanth mostly relaxing, except for sword work in the morning, but neither him nor I thought that work. Now that my relationship had changed with Danric, I no longer felt embarrassed at my lack of skill, and even accepted lessons from him when he offered, though my rather stubborn sense of pride forbade me from actually asking him to teach me, which I think he knew. But even with informal lessons and off-hand advice, my skill steadily improved. It was about our third day in Tlanth when my trademark restlessness struck me, late at night, and I felt the need to once again climb the white stone peak at Elios and run over the mountain trails, except this time, I did not feel the need to be alone. So at around eleven at night, I knocked outside Vidanric's tapestry and dragged him out into the night.   
  
It felt odd for me, who was trying to relive past days, to run over the trails in my civil riding clothes instead of my worn skirts and tunics, which I never minded getting dirty, but I moved into the forest, quickly passing the imaginary line that marked Hill Folk territory. Vidanric proved to have a perfect sense of tact and kept quiet through our trip, understanding that this was something I had to do for myself, and he was simply a guest on my trip into childhood.   
  
I reached the bottom of the white stone peak and began to climb, with Vidanric's lithe form not far behind, for even though the peak was almost sheer and he was not familiar with the best hand- and foot-holds, he seemed to be very capable of climbing, which I suspected came from climbing the cliffs in Renselaeus as a child.  
  
The two of us reached the top is when I first spoke, the silhouette of the castle sparking my memory. "Vidanric, do you remember the night before we left for Remalna-city? You were standing in the high tower of the castle late at night."  
  
"Yes," he responded, confused at my choice to topic. I guessed he thought I was going to launch into a lecture on the Hill Folk or some such matter.  
  
"Why were you up there? I looked for you when I got back, but you weren't there."  
  
"I needed to think. About you, mostly, because of our conversation in the library, about what I was going to do to get you to like me when we got to Court, about how I could protect you from Court life. That is when I came up with the idea of asking Russav to make you popular, no matter how much it irritated me to give my cousin permission to flirt with you whilst I could not. I like to do my thinking outdoors, usually in the gardens when we are at Court or by the waterfall when I am at home, but there I did not know where to go, so I went to the tower."  
  
"Oh," was all I could say. I leaned back, into his arms and just sat, thinking and listening as the Hill Folk played their music over the mountain. It was a song that I recognized, though they didn't play it very often – it was the song of welcome, a song they play only when one of their own comes home from a journey. I knew they played it to welcome me back to my home, not my home at the castle, but my home in the forests. I smiled into the darkness, then up at Vidanric, who leaned down to kiss me.  
  
I let Vidanric kiss me, losing myself in my memories of him, of my home, of this very place. I marveled at how far I had come from when I had last sat upon this ridge and looked down at my lifelong home. I was engaged to the very man I had raged against last time I was here. When I came out of my thoughts, I realized that Danric had stopped kissing me and was looking at my with a questioning look deep in his grey eyes.  
  
"I was just thinking," I said, vaguely, but Vidanric didn't question further. I looked up at the sky and listened to the Hill Folk's music, and idea popping into my head.  
  
I stood up and pulled Danric up after me, walking away from the edge and into the forest behind us, quickly finding a little known trail, used only by animals, the Hill Folk, and me. The trail was lined with flowering jasmine, planted when the Hill Folk removed the buds they wore. It made the trail smell heavenly, and I breathed in this scent of home as I continued down the trail, following the harp sounds around me to my destination.   
  
A few minutes later, the trail opened into a meadow I vaguely remembered from my childhood, one that my father showed me, the place where I first saw the Hill Folk. The meadow was surrounded by towering Redwoods and Bluewoods, with a towering Goldenwood standing in the center of the small glade like a king. Around it were nearly thirty of the Hill Folk, dancing to the music played by a harpist and another on a reed pipe. When Vidanric and I entered the glade, everything became silent.  
  
Silent for only the barest second, for I guessed it took them that long to gauge our intentions, before the glade erupted into a song of welcome and the Folk began to wildly dance around the tree.  
  
I heard Vidanric take a sharp breathe when he realized what I had brought him to. "Meliara, I can't believe this. How did you know this was here?" he whispered.  
  
"My father brought me here once, when the Hill Folk were mourning the loss of my mother. They only come here when the either celebrate or mourn, for so many are not usually gathered in one place. When I recognized the song they played, one of welcome, I knew they would be here to celebrate, so I decided that we should join in the gaiety."  
  
"Why do they not run? I always heard that Hill Folk scatter whenever humans come upon them," Danric questioned.  
  
"They know who I am, and through me they know who you are. Besides, I don't know if Hill Folk understand or acknowledge kings, but they have always accepted those of rank more quickly than those without. I can only guess its because the nobility of Remalna are the ones who created the Covenant. Anyway, they won't run unless you frighten them." I walked out into the glade and began to dance alongside the Folk, though not altogether with them, smiling when Vidanric came into my field of vision and I saw him with an utterly astonished look on his face. It was so rare to see Vidanric so totally lose his composure. I walked to the edge of the glade where he stood and drew him with me into the dance.  
  
Vidanric and I danced for hours, content together among the Hill Folk who did not judge us or expect anything from us except to celebrate. We danced until the Folk began to leave, planting their garlands in the ground as they walked along. Finally the harpist and reed piper ended their never-ending song and disappeared among the trees. Quietly, after the last of them had left, I lead Danric back along the path to the stond peak, where we sat together to watch a brilliant sunrise before heading back to the castle for a long rest.   
  
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Author's note: Well, this is what I really had planned to have happen in chapter four, but as I said, my brother kicked me off the computer before I could write it out. Yay! Danric met the Hill Folk! I think I may have a few more encounters with the Folk, but not for right now. Yes, well I hoped you guys liked the fluff in this chapter! 


	5. Chapter Five

The next day, Mora awakened me for breakfast and a bath before my planned ride with Vidanric. He wanted to see the entire forest I had grown up in, leaving no rock unturned as he discovered my childhood. I personally did not think he could understand the wild aspect of my younger years through all his civilized court background, but Danric had surprised me with his depth of understanding before, so I imagined he very well might be able to astound me again.   
  
I thanked Mora and dressed in one of my simpler morning gowns, for I had none to impress and no pressing engagements till later, so I summoned Oria for a quiet breakfast to catch up on her affairs as of late. She arrived soon after with a two servants trailing behind her carrying trays of steaming breakfast foods. She and I settled on the pile of cushions in my sitting room and partook of the food, while discussing some of the events that had taken place at the capitol. I expounded to her on Savona and his outrageousness and the problems I had with Tamara. She seemed surprised at first at my decision on how to handle the occurrence at her party, but commented on how very like me it seemed, such a selfless decision. Finally the conversation slowed, for nothing had really happened at the castle, and my life at the palace Athanarel had been pretty well told of in my letters.  
  
"Mel can I ask you a question, while I have you here to myself, without your blonde counterpart?" Oria asked, tentatively, as though she was not sure if she was stepping out of her bounds.  
  
"Of course, 'Ria. You can ask me anything."  
  
"Well, Lord Vidanric…you…exactly how did that happen?"  
  
I realized then that though all my general social happenings at Court had been told to Oria, I had never told anyone, even Nee, about my letters. I blushed and began to explain her the story. "You see, it began only a few days after I arrived at Athanarel, on my name day. Bran forgot, and Nee didn't know, so I was disappointed, but I found this ring on my desk in a lovely gift egg, there on my vanity. Bran didn't give me it …" I continued with my story for a while until a knock outside my tapestry interrupted me.   
  
Annoyed at being stopped while I was in the middle of a tale I thoroughly enjoyed finally being able to tell, I was about to berate the person unfortunate enough to have knocked, but was greeted by a pair of grey eyes dancing, obviously having heard my current subject of conversation. "Mel, my dear, I regret to inform you that morning has long since past, and unless you wish to repeat last night, we may very well wish to be off on our ride," Vidanric smiled, entering my rooms. He spotted Oria pulling herself off the cushions and sketched a bow to her, "Lady Oria, I half expected you to be one I would find in here delaying my wonderful companion." He smiled at Oria's girlish blush as she curtsied, correctly in a bow to the sovereign. I smiled and wondered if Mora had been giving her discreet lessons on how to interact properly with royalty, or soon-to-be royalty anyway.  
  
"Please, simply Oria, or 'Ria if you please, my Lord. I am no Lady such as that stands so rightly beside you. Now, Mel, I believe Mora has already laid out your riding clothes. While you change, I will take his Lordship down to the stables to chose his horse and get it ready. Am I correct in assuming you will prefer to be riding Topaz, my lady?"  
  
"No, 'Ria, I should think not. Knowing his Lordship as I do, I suspect he will be choosing Versio, and I shall need a quick mount to keep up. As much as I adore my reliable Topaz, I think Kyrlei shall do nicely for our outing," I said, ecstatic to see a confused look upon Vidanric's face, for it was not often that I could confuse him so thoroughly.  
  
"Very well, my lady. My Lord, if you would be so kind as to follow me, I shall lead you to the stables. Jon, my dear," Oria said, now speaking to a servant boy that was waiting just outside the doorway, "please go downstairs and fetch Lord Vidanric's cloak please and meet us out at the stables." The boy went running off towards the stairs as Vidanric left the room after, though Oria tarried a moment longer.  
  
"Meliara," she whispered, "I don't know if it would be of any consequence to you now, but tonight is the celebration of Kaldea's Flower Day. Lord Vidanric might well enjoy our 'rustic celebrations', future king though he might be. It's my own opinion that a good king should well be fair familiar with everyone in the county that brought about the prior king's downfall." Oria winked and swept out of the room, motioning for Danric to follow her outside to the stables. I quickly changed into the clothes Mora had indeed laid out and hurried after them, wishing to save my fiancé from a assured long lecture from the grooms on the disadvantages and advantages of each horse he considered, especially when I knew fair well that Versio was the horse he would inevitably chose because it was closest to his favored grey mount still back at Athanarel. I would never admit to myself that the other reason for me to hurry such was that I wished to quickly be rid of people and their prying eyes and to simply be alone with Vidanric, only the eyes of Hill Folk upon us, for Hill Folk do not judge and give no outward indication of proper and improper actions.  
  
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Author's note: I know you guys were desolate that I didn't update last night, but I didn't have time to post it though I had wirtten it. Anyway, here it is though it is a little short. I will write tonights chapter and post it tomorrow probably. Happy New Year! 


	6. Chapter Six

-Author's Note- I am sorry to all of you who liked my story and have been following it that I haven't updated it in FOREVER. I wrote the parts prior during my Winter Break, and since then I haven't really had the time, not the inclination, to write out the next chapter. But now it is summer break and I have tons of time on my hands, so I decided to give this story another crack. I still have no idea where I am going with it, and it had no plot, so…right now it is still just a bunch of fluff. I think I am going to try and end it on Nee and Bran's wedding day…seems like a good place to stop. But in the meantime, do any of you have ideas for where I should be going next? I love to hear from you guys!  
  
-Chapter Six-  
  
I quickly arrived at the stables at the southern edge of the estate to find Vidanric mounted on a stunning deep bay stallion I had no recollection of, even though I had very close relationships with almost every horse in the barn. My eyes, which as usual, Vidanric read like a book, gave my confusion and surprise away to him immediately, and I could see he was thoroughly enjoying my surprise. I suspected he was getting me back for confusing him up in my rooms earlier.   
  
"But, 'Danric I thought you would've picked Versio…though I must admit, I have never seen this stunning fellow." I mumbled.  
  
"Ah, my love, I did intend to ride Versio, but as I was going with Jon to get my tack, I saw this boy in a stall next to Versio. He was staring me straight in the eye, almost daring me to ride him. Well, as you know, I can not resist a challenge, so I decided to ride him instead." I nodded, acknowledging his tale, but my attention was thoroughly centered on the horse underneath him. He was indeed a gorgeous creature, perhaps one of the best in the stable. Nearly 17 hands tall at the withers and a deep blood bay, with eyes that held a spirit strong enough to conquer the strongest rider. I was impressed.   
  
I turned to go into the stable, leaving Vidanric to familiarize himself with his new mount while I went to tack up my own. I noticed Oria standing just out of sight at the edge of the path and beckoned her over. "Oria, just who is that gorgeous horse that my fiancée is astride? Where did he come from?" We walked together into the barn.  
  
"Well, Mistress, he is Riamon, a stallion that was bought by Lord Branaric on his last visit here, just before you departed for Athanarel."   
  
I nodded my head in assent, remembering Bran's mention of taking a look at some horses on the day when I donned my first dinner gown and had a formal dinner in the castle. "Well, then, if Bran picked him out himself, I am sure he is an amazing creature. I suspect I shall need Versio to keep up, not just Kyrlei. Can you have Jon tack up Versio for me then? I am going to say 'hi' to Topaz." Oria nodded and walked off to find Jon and I headed towards the stall of my favorite old mount – Topaz.  
  
Scarcely 15 minutes later were Vidanric and I trotting down my favorite trail, which lead into a nearby valley. He marveled at the expanse of bluewood trees all around, for this particular trail, aptly named the Bluewood Trail, lead through numerous stands of the precious wood.   
  
We emerged from the wood to find ourselves standing on the edge of the valley, which stretched away from us for miles, flanked by other mountains marching into the distance and topped by wispy clouds. I heard a small intake of breath from my partner, who looked awe-struck as I looked over. "Its amazing, isn't it? This was my favorite place to come during the day." I said. Vidanric simply nodded. I heeled my horse into a slow canter, heading down into the valley, aiming for a stream I knew was a little distance ahead, which would be an ideal place to stop and have lunch.   
  
The sun was just setting as 'Danric and I clattered into the stableyard, the horses blowing from our race to the barn. We laughed and dismounted as stablehands rushed out to grab the horses. Jon was there to take Riamon, looking anxious. "What is wrong, Jon?" I asked.  
  
"Well, my Lady, my Lord, Oria has bade me to tell you that the Flower Day celebration starts at sundown," he answered.   
  
I turned to Vidanric. "Well, my Lord, do you think you are up to our rustic traditions after our hard day's ride?"  
  
"Mel, I think I could stand a little more excitement for the night, given that you are by my side."   
  
I smiled and grabbed his hand, leading him up towards the castle to change and get ready for the party.   
  
I donned a gown of russet and amber for the party, for wearing earth tones was an old tradition, and this particular gown was both quiet enough as to not distract attention from Kaldea and was able to get rather dirty. I met up with Vidanric, who was dressed in deep green and black, and headed out for the village. Vidanric seemed surprised that we were going on foot, but I explained that the village wasn't far and even though I was a noble, it was still considered rude for anyone to distract attention from the girl who was to be honored.   
  
By the time we entered the town square, the party was in full swing, with happy dancers twirling around and other couples happily conversing on the edges of the dance floor. However, the party stopped when Vidanric and I entered the square. I suddenly remembered that no one in the village, apart from a few protestors, knew I had returned from Athanarel. Undaunted, I grabbed Vidanric's hand and walked over to Kaldea, who stood and bowed to me, and, looking confused as to the identity of Vidanric, bowed to him too.   
  
"Kaldea, I am so glad I could be here to see you on your Flower Day. I must admit, I had forgotten about it while caught up with the affairs of Athanarel. I had actually just come to Tlanth to give Vidanric, or actually, to force Vidanric, to take some much needed respite from all his work. But nonetheless, congratulations." Kaldea looked surprised to see me, but her ensuing hug was warmer than ever.   
  
"So, my Lady, I take this stranger standing next to you to be Vidanric. If I am not mistaken, is he not the man most likely to be crowned the next king or Remalna?" Kaldea answered, looking from my to Vidanric, trying to ascertain our relationship.  
  
I nodded, and an audible murmur ran through the crowd in the square. I turned from Kaldea and faced the crowd, steeling myself for what I was about to do. "I am glad to see you all doing well and prospering in my absence, and that of Lord Branaric's. I am sorry to say that I will not be staying for very much longer, but when your Lord and the lady Nimiar Argilar are wed in a mere week, they will be returning to Tlanth. As some of you must have noticed, the Lord that stands beside me is indeed Lord Vidanric Renselaeus, the man who, with our county's help, brought about the fall of Galdran, and the man who is soon to be crowned King of Remalna. It is also my pleasure, though I regret to steal any attention from Kaldea, the girl, nay the woman, we should be recognizing, to announce that Lord Vidanric and I are soon to be wed." I took Vidanric's hand and squeezed it, not sure of what the reaction would be from the crowd. Despite Vidanric's brief visit here before, many people, mainly those who were rebels and their families, still though Vidanric to be the man they saw on the battlefield. They still thought him to be the man I had only recently realized he was not – an enemy. I did not know how they would take my announcement that I was to marry him.  
  
A great shout rose from the crowd, though one of joy, not anger. Kaldea stepped forward and gave me another hug, a gesture that seemed to restart the party. She grabbed the hand of a boy standing next to her, whom I could only assume was one of her flirts, and then grabbed my hand. Still holding Vidanric's hand, we were all dragged out onto the dance floor by Kaldea, who signaled the band to take up a quick tune, which I quickly recognized as one of my old favorites. Kaldea, her flirt, and I quickly fell into the steps of the old dance, leaving Vidanric rather out of the loop. I stopped dancing for a moment to grab his hand and bring him into the dance. I could tell he was nervous because he did not know the dance, but I assured him that it did not matter. He still looked reserved, but I pulled him in anyway.   
  
After a few dances, Vidanric and I retired to the edge of the dance floor, where we were subject to a barrage of congratulations by what seemed like everyone in the village. We stayed on the side of the dance floor while the party stretched long into the night. Howver, when the moon was riding high up in the sky, I took Vidanric's hand and lead him silently away from the party and into the night beyond, taking a trail definetly not heading towards the castle. 


End file.
